The animals are desperately trying to breathe through a hole in the ice, need urgent help

Killer whales trapped in ice are in desperate need of help

A group of Inuit people living in the village of Inukjuak, Quebec are now asking the Canadian government to become actively involved in the rescue of about a dozen killer whales which somehow got trapped in the icy waters of Hudson Bay, Canada.

Apparently, these marine mammals were simply going about their business when the ice started to creep up on them as a result of an unexpected and rapid drop in local temperatures.

For the time being, they find themselves unable to swim to another location, and eyewitnesses say that they are desperately trying to breathe through a small hole in the ice.

However, as a result of the freezing temperatures, said hole in the ice is shrinking as the hours go by, which means that the whales could eventually drown.

The Inuit community who found these whales and who are now trying to rescue them explain that the whales are taking turns in order to get one or two breaths of fresh air, and that they are well aware of the gravity of the situation they find themselves in.

Thus, some of the whales are already beginning to panic, and all of them are displaying signs of distress, Sky News reports.

Given the fact that this group is made up of both adult whales and younger individuals, it is quite likely that they all belong to the same family.

The people who are now closely monitoring these marine mammals are hoping that the Canadian government will agree to send an icebreaker and help set them free.

For the time being, officials working with Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans are busy assessing the situation, so it is to be expected that it will not be long before an attempt to rescue these killer whales follows.

Hopefully, more information on this topic will soon be shared with the general public.

Footage of these whales in distress is made available in the video below.